Tesco’s pilot schemes to tackle absenteeism have drawn a mixed response from employment experts. The schemes range from not paying employees for the first three days’ sickness, to offering extra holiday and bonuses for full attendance.

Penny de Valk of HR consultant Ceridian said the schemes assumed sickness was an issue of choice. “Organisations need to be careful they do not encourage staff to not convalesce appropriately,” she said.

Employment agency Adecco said its own research with Lemsip that showed that 18% of staff were unaware of their employers short–term absence policy. “Companies need to clarify their short-term illness policies,” claimed the company’s operations director Trisha Adams.

Stephen Bevan, head researcher at the Work Foundation, said that long-term absence was the main issue, accounting for 75% of the cost of sickness.